“When you get some free time, write. When you get some lazy time, plan. When you get down time, world build. When your time comes, shine!”― Ace Antonio Hall
The Sciell’s Legacy (working title) Book 4 of The Merging Worlds series started as a short story that wanted to be a novel. I ignored the nagging muse because the world in that story was way more complex than I was used to. Expanding that monster into a novel would’ve been a pain. I eventually accepted defeat. The novel still a pain but it’s…interesting. Even though you annoy me novel, I still love you.
The threats in Books 1-3, created the world in Book 4. What an awful world it is? It’s Darkness vs. humans vs. Lifeblood beings. It’s ugly. At first, I planned to start the novel after a war called The Purge (I’ll be changing that name). Humans acquired weapons to kill Lifeblood beings which led to a countrywide battled. Some Lifeblood beings are strong. Many of them are as weak as humans. The stronger ones are few. Humans and their weapons outnumber them.
Instead, I’m starting the novel in the middle of The Purge. This level of dark is new for me. Several times, I had to push past my feelings to write some seriously twisted scenes. I’m writing dark fantasy after all.
To understand what my characters are up against, I listed the threats in my world building journal.
- Darkness and Silence attacks anyone who’s unprotected
- Night lasts forever. Darkness parts for a moment at the end of the day to let people see the sun.
- Bosses, puppets of Darkness, run cities. They breed with others humans and nonhumans to make more puppets.
- These Bosses are after Elihona, the main character.
- Many, many humans now have weapons to kill Lifeblood beings and they’re using them frequently.
- Monsters– animals and humans– mutated by Darkness roam the world, feeding.
- Everyone blames the Sciell for the way the world is.
- How do people grow anything if there’s no sunlight?
- How do humans protect themselves from Darkness and Silence?
- Since this takes place many years after the apocalypse, some sort of governing body would’ve formed. What is it?
- Characters pull power from Darkness, Bria, in order to survive. In Book 3, Darkness attacked anyone trying to grab the power. So, in Book 4, how do the characters get Bria?
- If Darkness covers the world and blocks out the sun, does that mean it also blocks rain and snow?
- What is life like in big cities and small towns?
- Plants and animals all changed but they aren’t all evil. Animals are smarter now which makes them difficult to hunt. Plants are poisonous. What do people eat?
- The powerful weapons were invented in Jael. Are they available overseas? If so, how did they get over there?
Of course, I consult my favorite site for help.
I created a board on Pinterest for Book 4.
I also have a board for fantasy creatures to help me populate this world.
As always, this will be an intense journey.
Also, I discovered a new Fantasy Name Generator. It’s awesome!
Check out Behind the World Building: The Beginning
